Two former ministers slug it out in Madikeri

In Madikeri constituency, there is a direct fight between two former ministers, M P Appachu Ranjan of BJP and B A Jeevijaya of JD(S).

Appachu Ranjan had served as the minister when the BJP was in power while B A Jeevijaya was forest minister when Ramakrishna Hegde was the chief minister in 1983.

The duo had contested against each other in 2013 election as well. Now, they are facing each other once again.

Strong hold

Appachu Ranjan has won the constituency in 1994, 1999, 2008 and 2013 and has a strong hold over the constituency. In the 2013 Assembly election, Appachu Ranjan won by 4,629 votes.

Jeevijaya has been campaigning stating that this is his last election and to support him for the development and change.

A large number of voters from Madikeri town, Suntikoppa, Kodlipete, Shanivarasanthe, Kushalnagar, and Koodige had supported Ranjan.

The Madikeri City Municipality BJP members are supporting Ranjan.

Open revolt

However, there is an anti-incumbency wave against the sitting MLA as well.

The party workers in Kadagadalu, Somwarpet, however, have openly revolted against the MLA. In Somwarpet area, the taluk panchayat members from the BJP have distanced themselves from the campaign.

The JD(S) has a strong hold in Kodlipete, Shanivarasanthe, Somwarpet, Kushalnagar, Koodige areas, which the JD(S) feels that help in the victory of its candidate Jeevijaya.

Stiff fight

On the other hand, the Congress is giving a stiff fight to the BJP and JD(S). The Congress has been depending on Chief Minister Siddarmaiah’s welfare programmes.

Zilla Panchayat member K P Chandrakala was given ticket from Congress to contest at the last minute. Her brother, actor Jai Jagadeesh is carrying out an intense campaign in the constituency.

Even ticket aspirants H S Chandramouli, Napanda Muthappa, and Virupakshayya are campaigning for the Congress candidate.

According to political analysts, Chandrakala and Jeevijaya hail from Okkaliga community. If the votes are divided, then the calculations will go wrong. The votes from Lingayat, Muslim, Arebhashe Gowda and Kodava will play a pivotal role in the victory of a candidate. Both the Congress and JD(S) are attempting to encash on factions and rebels in the BJP.